MEETING NOTES FOR PEOPLE FOR PEACE, JUSTICE, AND HEALING

People for Peace, Justice, and Healing
September 20, 2008

People for Peace, Justice and Healing met at 10 a.m., September 20, 2008, at Associated Ministries. Present for check-in were Jan, Mark, Karen H., Sally M., Nancy, Vivi, Sol, and Terry.

AGENDA

1. UPS LECTURE ON PALESTINE/ISRAEL (Sally and Nancy)
Discussion of the Palestinian/Israel Swopes lecture at UPS on Tuesday, September 16. The presentation was characterized as a historical perspective on the situation. Linda Frank asked the speakers if there is "anything a person could do to affect the situation" but the presenters passed over the question. Full house. Lots of people there to hear the presentation. Discussion of how information might have been distributed to give ideas to people interested in deeper involvement in the issue(s). Ask UPS about available handouts with activist information? Discussion of people's fears of being considered "anti-Semitic" if they are critical of Israeli policies in regard to Palestine.

Nancy reports that Treye McKinney is currently in Bethlehem, staying with a man named Ibrahim, who freely offers hospitality to anyone who requests it and Treye is trying to get him charge for his hospitality when possible. He is expected to return to the States in March.

2. OPT OUT (Nancy).
There is some difficulty getting Mt. Tahoma High School to cooperate with efforts to get Opt Out forms to students so that they and their parents know their rights via the military. They want a lunchtime/lunchroom slot but are being referred to the Career Counsellor's office. Their protests are complicated by the information that Mt. Tahoma isn't letting the military talk to the students either.

3. MILLION DOORS FOR PEACE (All)
Discussion of the Million Door Knock campaign held today. Question raised about where the petitions mentioned in this effort are to be sent. (Note: voter registration forms must be signed and postmarked by October 4 for this year's election.)

4. FINANCIAL CRISIS (All)
Discussion of the current financial crisis and the effort to use government funds to bail out prominent U.S. financial institutions. Group shared their concerns, questions, and what knowledge they've garnered about the bail out.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. (Vivi) Support the McKinley Avenue Coffee House, the new neighborhood Coffee House located at 723 E. 34th and McKinley Avenue. One of the purposes of this house is to encourage neighborhood cohesion. They will be sponsoring musical groups, a poetry reading group, and various political events. Their website advertises them as open 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday-Friday and 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on weekends. (Sunday, September 21, they "phone banked" for Obama from the coffee house from 1 to 5 p.m.) Vivi

2. (Mark) Digging Deeper: Reading group sponsored by UFPPC meets Monday nights 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Mandolin Cafe. Currently reading Philippe Sands's Lawless World: America and the Making and Breaking of Global Rules and Hugh Wilford's The Mighty Wurlitzer in preparation for reading Bacevich's The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism (August 2008) at the October 6 meeting group.

3. (Sol) Pierce County Conservation Awards Luncheon will be held Thursday, September 25 at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. Check in: 11:30 a.m. Guest Speaker -- Bruce Kendall.

4. (Mark) Mazda Majidi will speak at King's Books on September 26, 7:00 p.m., on Iran and the current situation in the Persian/Arabian Gulf.

5. (Jan) A lecture inspired by David Korten's book The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community will be given by Bill Scarvie, Sun., Sept. 28 at Tahoma Unitarian Universalist Church. Worship Service at 10:30 a.m. The lecture will be followed by five workshop events -- to discuss the book -- on Oct. 12, Oct. 26, Nov. 16, Nov. 23, and Dec. 7. These events will be from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Cost is $15.00 per person. If you attend both the worship service and the workshop, please bring light finger foods to share for lite lunch.

Respectfully submitted,
Karen H.